Duke Power (Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.) has selected MapFrame Corp.'s (Dallas, Texas, U.S.) FieldSmart View as the mobile-mapping solution for its transmission and distribution field personnel. Duke Power provides electric service to about 2 million customers and has a 20,000-sq mile (51,800-sq km) service territory covering North Carolina and South Carolina.

MapFrame's FieldSmart View software runs on mobile computers and enables field personnel to quickly access facility maps and geographical information system (GIS) data. Approximately 500 field personnel will use the software as part of Duke's mobile-data system for scheduling, managing and dispatching field crews.

FieldSmart View will link maps from Duke's Small-world GIS to individual work orders. Integrating maps and facility data with mobile dispatch will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of field operations, improving response times in critical storm and outage situations.

Currently, field technicians receive work orders and then have to search through large map books to find the facilities information related to the specific work order. Linking FieldSmart View to mobile dispatch will replace paper maps with an automated system that is fast, up-to-date and easy to use. After receiving a work order on the mobile computer, a field technician will highlight it, and then tap a map button on the toolbar to view the most current facility information associated with the work order. After the button is tapped, the screen will zoom to a view of the map data centered on the device or grid address relevant to the work order. To help maintain the accuracy of the GIS database, FieldSmart View also will provide users with the ability to mark up maps in the field.

Duke is currently using Walkabout Computers' Hammerhead pen tablets in its service vehicles. MapFrame's FieldSmart compression technology will enable Duke to fit its entire service territory on a Hammerhead computer so crews can be dispatched to any area during a storm or other emergency and still have full access to all the information they need.
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